I Can Add Points Infinitely - Chapter 51

Shen Lian flew towards the inner sect of the Azure Cloud Sect when he was suddenly called out.

The caller was an inner sect steward, the same young man who had previously informed Shen Lian about his promotion and ended up chatting with him late into the night.

“Senior Brother, over here!” The young man waved vigorously, running up with a smile. “What a coincidence, Senior Brother Shen Lian. The Sect Master just sent me to find you.”

“Oh? The Sect Master is looking for me?” Shen Lian paused, surprised. “What’s this about?”

“I’m not sure myself,” the young man replied, shaking his head. “You should head over quickly; the Sect Master is waiting in the main hall.”

“Alright, thanks,” Shen Lian nodded.

“No need to thank me—just doing my duty.” The young man waved it off.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Shen Lian changed direction and headed straight for the mountain peak.

Before long, he arrived at the main hall. The disciples guarding the gate did not stop him, clearly having been informed of his arrival in advance. Shen Lian walked in without any hindrance and found the Sect Master sitting serenely at the head of the hall, eyes closed as if meditating.

“Disciple Shen Lian greets the Sect Master,” Shen Lian said, bowing respectfully.

“No need for formalities, rise,” the Sect Master said calmly, opening his eyes.

Shen Lian stood up and waited respectfully. The Sect Master’s gaze swept over him, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Not bad. You’ve reached the third level of Foundation Establishment in just three months. It seems you haven’t been slacking off in your cultivation.”

“It’s all thanks to the Sect Master’s guidance that this disciple could progress so quickly,” Shen Lian responded, habitually flattering the Sect Master.

However, the Sect Master seemed unaffected by his flattery, maintaining his composed demeanor. “Do you know why I summoned you here?”

“I don’t,” Shen Lian answered honestly.

“Have you heard about the arrangements for core disciples after their promotion?”

Shen Lian’s heart skipped a beat, guessing the reason. “I have heard a bit.”

“Good, then you have an idea,” the Sect Master nodded lightly. “I’ve called you here to assign your next training task. After discussing with the elders, we’ve decided to send you to manage the spirit stone mining operations in Dongshi Valley.”

“Dongshi Valley?” Shen Lian looked up, puzzled. This was the first time he had heard of the place.

The Sect Master smiled and explained, “Dongshi Valley is located in the southern part of Xingzhou, near the capital of the Yan Kingdom. It’s a remote and small area, so it’s normal if you haven’t heard of it. The sect discovered a medium-sized spirit stone mine there, and it’s been operational for some time now with decent output.”

“However, we haven’t assigned any significant disciple presence to manage it until now. Since you’ve just been promoted and haven’t taken on any tasks, the sect has decided to have you take charge of the mining operations as part of your training. What do you think?”

“This disciple accepts the Sect Master’s instructions,” Shen Lian agreed without much hesitation. It didn’t matter to him what task he was given; what mattered was that Dongshi Valley was near the capital, allowing him to find an opportunity to visit the Spirit Treasure Pavilion headquarters and participate in the large-scale auction to acquire the True Condensation Pill.

“Good,” the Sect Master said, pleased. He tossed Shen Lian a jade slip. “This contains a map to Dongshi Valley. Your appointment has already been sent through the sect’s array, so you can head there directly.”

“Additionally, according to sect rules, 80% of the mine’s earnings will be submitted to the sect, while the remaining 20% can be freely used at your discretion.”

Hearing this, Shen Lian’s eyes lit up. A spirit stone mine’s profits were nothing to scoff at; even 20% would be enough to make him wealthy overnight. As the saying goes, “owning a mine is like having a golden goose,” and now Shen Lian truly had a mine, one rich in spirit stones coveted by cultivators.

“Thank you, Sect Master,” Shen Lian expressed his joy, bowing deeply.

“This is your rightful reward; no need to thank me,” the Sect Master waved his hand dismissively. “Go and make your preparations, and set off as soon as possible.”

“Yes,” Shen Lian replied, containing his excitement.

Remembering the requests from Yun Xiong and his fellow disciples, Shen Lian asked, “Sect Master, I would like to bring a few people to assist me…”

“That’s fine; you can handle such matters directly with the inner pavilion for registration,” the Sect Master interrupted.

“I understand,” Shen Lian nodded, his excitement barely contained as he left the hall. He didn’t relax completely until he was far away, then burst into laughter.

“Azure Cloud Sect truly is my lucky place, hahaha…”

Humming happily, Shen Lian hurried down the mountain to the Tool Refinement Pavilion. Upon entering, he saw the three crafting masters huddled around the Demon Emperor Sword, all looking rather glum and frustrated.

Shen Lian’s heart sank. “No way… Don’t tell me I’ve hit a stroke of bad luck and something’s wrong with the Demon Emperor Sword?”

He rushed over to inquire, “Master Li, Master Miao, what happened? Is the sword damaged?”

“Oh? You’re here, young friend,” the three masters greeted him.

“Don’t worry, the sword’s fine. A treasure of this level is incredibly resilient—it’s not something that could easily be damaged,” Master Li Wuchang reassured, shaking his head.

“So, did the scabbard not turn out well?” Shen Lian, relieved that the sword was unharmed, was still puzzled.

“A scabbard is nothing for us; we finished it long ago,” Master Miao replied softly.

“Then what’s going on…?” Shen Lian asked, confused.

“Sigh…” Master Li let out a heavy sigh. “We’re just frustrated at our own lack of understanding. We’ve been studying this sword for three whole days and can only discern that it’s an extraordinary, powerful weapon. Beyond that, we’ve learned nothing. It feels like guarding a treasure without the ability to truly grasp it.”

Both other masters mirrored Li’s sentiment with disappointed expressions.

“Ah…” Shen Lian finally understood why they seemed so dejected. He couldn’t help but find it amusing, yet also felt a sense of admiration. Only those who genuinely love their craft and dedicate their lives to mastering it could reach such heights.

“By the way…” Master Li suddenly looked at Shen Lian with a hopeful expression. “Young friend, could you… allow us a few more days to study this sword? We’re willing to pay you.”

“Yes, yes, name your price,” the other two chimed in eagerly.

Shen Lian sighed, shaking his head apologetically. “It’s not that I’m unwilling, but the sect has assigned me a task, and I’ll be leaving soon. So…”

The three masters were disappointed but understanding. To them, the Demon Emperor Sword was a valuable study tool, but for Shen Lian, it was a crucial companion, essential for his missions where danger often lurked.

“It’s fate. Some things aren’t meant to be forced,” Master Li sighed, turning to retrieve a pitch-black scabbard with intricate carvings and handing it to Shen Lian.

“This is what we crafted together. It’s made from Cold Iron Essence and a bit of Hollow Stone. As per your request, it has no additional functions but is incredibly sturdy—it would take four or five strikes from this sword itself to even dent it. No regular spirit weapon stands a chance against it.”

“We also engraved a minor formation inside the scabbard using the Hollow Stone’s energy absorption properties, which can conceal the sword’s aura. It’s the only extra feature we added.”

“We figured since you requested a scabbard, you probably plan to carry it openly. Otherwise, you could simply keep it nurtured in your dantian without the need for such a thing. The concealed aura should help reduce unwanted attention.”

Master Li carefully explained the scabbard’s features.

Shen Lian, delighted, accepted the scabbard. “Master Li, I hadn’t even considered such details before. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” Master Li waved it off.

Shen Lian admired the scabbard, increasingly fond of its dark surface and intricate design. It complemented his black robe perfectly, exuding a mysterious allure.

With a thought, the Demon Emperor Sword flew into his hand and smoothly sheathed itself, fitting as if they were made for each other.

“Young friend, here are some spirit stones, as we agreed. Please accept them as a token for lending us the sword,” Master Li said, handing Shen Lian a storage pouch.

Shen Lian quickly declined, shaking his head. “Master Li, you’ve already done me a great favor by crafting this scabbard at no cost. How could I accept more spirit stones?”

“Nonsense. We had an agreement, and we should honor it,” Master Li insisted.